Rune_Alchemist — Roleplayer Guild

Name:
Khata Nyarlith

Title:
The Faceless One

Three-word description:
Arcane Nightmare Horror

Appearance:

When out among other gods, mortals, or anytime else she's basically not lounging in her abode, she...it, is dressed in luxurious purple robes, complete with long flowing and imposing cloak, claws metal gauntlets and a rather...odd mask covering his-hers-its, features. All of the equipment is summonable, meaning she can summon it from anywhere should she so desire. The robe itself is fairly durable, and acts as a fairly decent suit of leather armor to naturally deflect physical attacks. Of course, it has also been heavily enchanted and fortified. If one had the misfortune of removing the mask...well, all they would see is a gaping hole where its face should be.

If, one were to pay her a little visit in her not so humble abode and bow to her, they would find a much less mysterious, and much more beautiful and alluring creature. Standing roughly at five foot eight with pale skin, bright golden colored eyes dressed in fine silk clothing with pure white hair tied up, and wearing some fairly revealing clothing. She is often seen smiling, an uneasy sometimes 'unhinged' grin, one might say. Of course, this appearance is simply a magically kept facade. Her true form is...something much more terrifying.

This horrific fleshy mass is...well, exactly what someone's nightmares are made out of. Cold, clammy, and somewhat slimy to the touch its not something anyone wants to meet in a dark alleyway. It stands at eight feet tall, and lacks any sort of facial features. Only a giant gaping mouth, twisted sideways where a face should be. Three strong looking arms protrude from its body, with obvious muscle one might expect from something other than a mage. Powerful legs hold it upright, ready to carry the creature with the same musculature as its legs. Several tentacles writhe and protrude from the creatures body, ready to be used as weapons for both offense and defense.

Magic/Skills/Abilities:
As far as skills go, Khata is what some might say, a complete master of the arcane. She has a incredible advance understanding of magic in general, which she uses to create horrific arcane creatures. Her most powerful skill, however, is the ability to summon various abominations from some unknown plane. Contact with these beings have slightly eroded her sanity over the years, but she cares not. all is for the sake of knowledge and magic...and power. Of course, summoning such creatures are somewhat difficult to do in battles, though the effect they have and the sheer potential for destruction they can cause is greatly worth it.

However, such things won't help her if she's being attacked at close range. She can beckon these entities into a sort of half-existence, letting them dwell within her body and granting her a variety of effects and most importantly, physical boons and physical alterations. Aside from this, she also has various spells at her disposal that involve simply destroying things with the power of the stars and heavens.

her most unique ability, however, is the ability to speak to mortals within their dreams. Such dreams, are often horrific nightmarish things, often ending with the victim being devoured by some abomination. Such people, are usually eventually driven mad and are either killed, or flee and search for her tower...

Inventory/Holdings:
Inventory:
Enchanted Robes, to bind the flesh to a mortal form

A Staff Spear, to rend flesh of foes and commune with greater powers

A mask to conceal the face, to hide the true nature of things

Black stones, ascending to the heavens to beckon otherworldly creatures

The robes themselves are something summonable. They are enchanted to withstand physical blows, magic of all kinds, and extreme temperatures and environments. Aside from that, they are nothing special and function as typical robes do. Additionally, at her side and also summonable, is a spear designed to also function as a channel for magic. It does both jobs equally well, and while she's not as trained as some purely physical fighter would be, they would find themselves likely surprised by her skill with it to start with. And lastly, is her mask. It has the power to hide or reveal otherworldly things.

Tower of Nyarlith
The massive, sprawling black tower of Nyarlith is something of a legend among those who study the arcane. It is located not in this physical plane, but rather it has been summarily removed from this plane of existence thanks to pacts struck with eldritch beings. It was once located in what is today a vast desert, with nothing but sands and ruins as far as the eye can see. The desert was once home to a thriving civilization, but it has long sense fallen. Where the tower once stood, is nothing but a massive hole filled with water, where an eldritch guardian sleeps and watches over the seal that keeps the tower concealed from this reality. The hole, is said to be where the base of the tower once stood. Around it are the ruins of the city that have fallen into disrepair, and some have even sunken into the massive basin of water.

Indoctrinated, Abominations, and the Enlightened
What does Khata enjoy more than anything else? Dominating others, and her precious little slaves who have lost all form of what one might call 'free will'. They have been broken mentally, but their physical abilities are kept intact for obvious reasons. Surprisingly, slaves are treated well as long as they of course, behave. They make up the main cannon fodder of her forces within the tower, catering to her every whim and fighting for her on the front lines as slave warriors. Often times, their equipment is pretty heavily enchanted with magic, and some make use of magic themselves.

Additionally, eldritch abominations which stalk the hallways and are always in the process of being made. These mindless creatures have no mind, and only serve to serve their masters. Mindless beasts, with no way to really control them. Set them loose upon enemy ranks, and watch the chaos unfold.

The faithful, are the few insane humans who make their way to the tower after being affected by her dreams. They for the most part, are normal humans who have taken up tutelage under her. Masters of the arcane and summoning eldritch beings and contacting them for boons.

Myth: 
Once, in the Vastness of the now desolate Great Desert, there existed a kingdom by the name of Azair. It was a prosperous, powerful kingdom that had been around for ages and had no equal in power. It was unified, a veritable utopia of wealth, civil stability and culture. Wars were said to have been a distant thing of the past, and power struggles were nonexistent for these people. Many people came to this utopia, lived there, and built lives. Of course, Utopias aren't exactly a realistic thing, and there is no such thing as a civilization without conflict...

The high priest of Azair used to be a friendly, kinder, older human. However, they had a fascination with things of the arcane nature that would eventually be his downfall. She skirted too close to the truth. Came into contact with eldritch beings who showed him visions of what the future might hold for him and the kingdom. War. Famine. Destruction. POWER. All he had to do...was let the creature in. Let it in his head.

So he did.

What happens next should be of no mystery. The old priest was devoured by his desire for arcane knowledge, drove him insane.  Power hungry. Eventually, this led him to wrenching power from the king, constructing the Tower of Nyarlith out of the finest obsidian stone that could be mined. After that...he sentenced everyone to death, letting eldritch creatures roam the streets and have their way with the humans in return for locking away the tower in another plane of existence.

Of course, that's all history. Slightly embellished, or so the story goes. What is the actual truth of it? No one knows. For centuries, the tower had been dormant. Hiding away in its sealed off realm where its owner indulged their magic curiosities, eventually transforming even their own body into something horrific and inhuman. And then, came Kil'threx, speaking to them in a dream.

An eldritch creature had a task for them.

And they would agree wholeheartedly for a chance to serve a higher calling. Creating a portal between the realm of the waking, and the realm of the Nightmare Tower, she set foot on the world once again in such, a long, long time.

Personality:
Really...not all there in the head. Talks to herself, makes odd comments, and otherwise is just generally unhinged. She takes great pride in her abilities, and loves showing people just how destructive and awe inspiring they can be. She has an insatiable lust for knowledge, magic trinkets, and loves them to no end, actively seeking them out and will always accept items of a magical nature as payment for services rendered.

That said, she treats her slaves and subjects rather well as mentioned previously. She subscribes that a loyal slave who loves you, will always be more effective than a fearful slave that is similar to a feral dog. She'll even go out of her way to save slave units and soldiers, should she have too. Of course, disobedience and failure is dealt with harshly...but punishment is always acceptable when a slave has failed their duties.

Oh, and well, remember she's a complete sadist and often goes out of her way to inflict pain and suffering upon others that aren't her loyal slaves, faithful, or abominations.

Sample post (put this in a hider please):

"How lovely of you all to join us!" The voice cackled as the doors to the tower opened, a clock chiming somewhere above. "Wohoho, how lovely indeed! Majestic even! Welcome to my humble abode, little adventurers! I'm curious as to how you lovely little things found all of your way here! Entertain my curiosity some, maybe? Please? It's been oh so very long since I saw the outside world, being all trapped here in my castle~" The pale woman upon the throne giggled in an unsettling fashion.

"Do not listen to the creatures words or be...seduced by its form! That is what we are here to kill!" The white clad paladin drew his sword, the doors to the throne room slamming shut behind him. "It's not even a woman!" The other party of adventurers drew their weapons. One with a rather nasty looking axe, dressed in some black robes. Another with a large hammer engraved with various holy symbols. Khata simply laughed from her throne.

"Majestic! Heroes are heroes, even in a dream!" her smile turned into an unsettling grin as she looked down upon the adventurers in her throne room.

And then she was in front of the Paladin.

"Calling me an it...how rude. Typical hero! And here I am a damsel in distress, locked away in a tower. Are these not 'real' enough for you? Is that it?~" She said, pressing her chest against the paladins armor. The holy warrior reacted almost instinctively, aiming a sword right for the creatures heart...or where it was supposed to be. The blade pierced the creatures soft flesh, but instead of hitting the creatures heart and incapacitating it, she seemed wholly unaffected by it.

There was a sickening crunch as the paladins armor was pierced instead. The creatures arm had turned into a a mass of writhing tentacles that slowly enveloped the paladin, crushing his bones and slipping into the cracks through his armor. The other two shook off their shock quickly enough, and proceeded to counter attack, trying to save their companion. The axe was brought down in an attempt to strike her head. The hammer attacked her from the side, in an attempt to prevent her from running. However, she dropped the paladin...and was suddenly ten feet away back in front of her throne.

The heroes looked absolutely confused.

"Ah, ah, so adorable. So adorable! You funny little humans, so adorable! Saving him, when you should be saving yourselves! Surprised? This is my tower! You think you can defeat me here? My gods won't let me die so easily, ahahaha~ Lemme show you again."

Suddenly, she was once again in front of the heroes in the blink of an eye...with her spear slammed right into his heart. She swung the spear around, slamming it into the remaining hero.

"Hehe...one left. I wonder...how much fun I can have with you?~"

Night falls on the sands, Starlight beckoning towards Nyarlith. 

It is said the sands were once more hospitable, but after the fall of Azair the water in the desert dried up, filling a giant pool in the center of the once great metropolis where the Palace of the old King once stood. The dried earth split, great fissures forming leading to the depths of the earth...

Existing on the southern edge of the continent, The Drazir wastes are, well, as one might expect from the name; A vast, endless ocean of sand, ancient stone ruins and fissures that lead far into the earth, swallowing travelers who lose their footing close to their edge. The desert is incredibly hot, the harsh sun beating down upon the sands making it reach temperatures that would make most men stay as far away as possible throughout the day. The clear, cloudless skies don't help, letting the sun fall unfiltered through.

One should keep in mind, the desert is not lifeless during the day. A variety of beasts roam the sands that call the place home, waiting to prey upon those who would brave the desert. They tend to take refuge within desert ruins or the sandy caves that have been carved into the walls of the crags that litter the region. Some of these beasts, are some of the horrid experiments that have found their way out of Nyarlith, and should not be taken lightly.

However, at night the desert takes a much more...peaceful looking form. It cools to a much more reasonable temperature, the large moon illuminating the desert in its pale light. Starlight shines from above, twinkling like little gems embedded in the sky. It is probably the time someone would wish to travel through the desert as the cooler temperatures make it much more tolerable to travel through. However, some nocturnal creatures come out at night, beckoned by the moonlight. It is by no means completely safer to travel.

The various ruins that dot the sands, are always of interest to scholars and wizards, hoping to stumble upon some artifact of great power. A way to commune with the same gods that the old kingdom Azair possibly had contact with before their fall. One should be careful though, quite a few of Nyarlith's faithful call these ruins home. Stumbling upon them will often not go well for the unprepared...

A few sparse oasis exist through the region which are safe enough, but for the most part it is completely devoid of flowing water, save for underground springs.

The gates of Azair still stand watch over the ancient city, time only adding to their wondrous splendor and beckoning the curious inwards with promise of treasure and knowledge.

Some say on the night of the Pale Moon, you can still hear the frantic calls of the citizens, pleading for their gods to same them from the monstrosities that were unleashed upon them.

The ruins of the once great civilization still stand to this day, a defiant opponent to both sands and time. The ancient monolithic stone walls of the city have eroded with time, but not faltered in their tasks of keeping out sands and invaders. The city itself is a surprisingly...green place. An ancient waterway runs from under the central gate into the giant pool in the center of town where the Palace once stood. Plants seem to have flocked to this source of water, and have taken root within the city. The ruins themselves hold many magical and arcane secrets, should one be brave enough to find and brave them.

And of course, make it past the plethora of creatures living here. Most, are discarded remnants from Nyarlith. Failed experiments, guards, or even some indoctrinated humans seeking for a way to enter the tower.

All manner of obscene, abhorrent experiments that only one as mad as Nyarlith could come up with take place within its halls.

Many a foolish wizard seek the tower and the ruined land of Azair, if only for some insight into the arcane mastery of the realms master. The master is a fickle thing, and if you entertain them you may be granted a boon of insight. People who manage to leave the tower, often go on to become powerful wizards until the end of their life draws near, and they are beckoned to return to Nyarlith.

Erected so long again, the tower has remained in pristine condition thanks to otherworldly influences and magic. It currently exists on an otherworldly plane, in a realm caught eternally between sunrise and sunset, with the sun setting in the east, and the moon rising in the west. Clouds fill the sky, moving at an unnaturally swift rate as an unseen wind carries them to their destination.

In this realm, the tower does not exist in a sea of sand as one might expect...but an actual sea. It stretches as far as the eye can see. An endless abyss, where all manner of eldritch creatures have taken refuge and live. The tower extends far into the heavens, all the way past the swift moving clouds above, and into a cool crisp night air where the silver, pale moon shines brightly and illuminates the roof of the tower, where all manner of obscene rituals take place under the amused gaze of Nyarlith.

The only way into the tower is to beckon the Blood Moon, and step through the revealed portal that has been revealed. Pray the guardian doesn't awaken, however. It is a ravenous beast, that will let no trespassers through without its masters permission.

The contents of the tower are vast and seemingly endless. Indeed, the tower almost seems to be bigger on the inside at times. A few notable locations within:

-The Study Halls located on the upper floors, where scholarly pursuits are shared between the Enlightened
-The Archives, located at the second highest place in the tower where all manner of magical tomes and research documents are kept
-The Labs situated in the middle, where magical experiments are conducted.
-The Communal room, located just below the archives, where one can attempt to commune with the elder gods.
-The Lower halls, where abominations and experiments lurk.
-Above the lower halls, are where the Indoctrinated rest.
-The Beckoning platform, where rituals to beckon the gods to this realm are performed.
-The throne Room, where Nyarlith grants audience to those who wish it.
-Many, many, more unnamed rooms exist, their purposes many.

The indoctrinated of Nyarlith have lost all sense of free will, unable to disobey orders from the creature that calls themselves their master. To be certain, they retain their desires, wants, former personalities from before but they can not do anything against the will of Nyarlith. I had the...opportunity to meet one once. I expected a mindless husk, but was surprised. They appear just as you or I. Completely normal. I wouldn't have even known, had they not told me.

Its frightening. It makes you wonder just how many have been lost to that creatures influence and we have no way of telling.

Slaves, or the 'Indoctrinated' as some call them, make up most of the population within and outside Nyarlith. Those who have had their minds dominated by Nyarlith and have lost all sense of what one might call 'free will'. Not that many would ever wish to do anything other than what their master tells them too. Such thoughts have all been wiped from their minds. These creatures come from all number of races that have existed. They are fairly easy to tell, as most will be dressed in simple robes or armor, depending on their own chosen specialty. They are as numerous as stars in the sky, and it is difficult to gauge the actual number of them.

They are currently led by a general, a powerful man who was once a part of a group of paladins that sought to bring an end to Nyarlith, but who was instead given insight into the arcane knowledge, who then pledged loyalty to the creature.

Those outside the tower, carry out special tasks. Reconnaissance, bring back information about the state of the world, bring back useful materials for experiments, etc. Those inside the tower, often cater to the wants and desires of their master. It is no secret they take great pleasure in indulging in mortal sins with their indoctrinated or Enlightened.

The lower halls of Nyarlith are home to all manner of creatures. Experiments conducted by Nyarlith in order to achieve some greater purpose...or simply to sate the creatures sadistic pleasures.

The experiments conducted at Nyarlith produce all kinds of abominations and creatures. There is no set explanation or classification for these monstrosities. Most cannot be controlled, tamed,or spoken too, even their masters have trouble with it. Most are kept within the lowest parts of the tower as insurance and guards. Some though, manage to slip through the veil and into the desert.

Most, used to be human of some sort. Some though, appear to be chimeras. Animals fused with other things, most often things that seem to come from beyond the veil or other aquatic creatures. Slugs, octopi, fish, etc.

Not all who seek Nyarlith are those indoctrinated. Not all of them are mages either. Simply someone the creature has taken an interest in, and have given them a choice. Come to Nyarlith and gain their own insight into the world without his aid, or go on living as ignorant, sightless beings. Those who accept, are whisked away to the tower where they may commune with the great ones themselves, find their own path of Enlightenment.

Differing from the Indoctrinated, since they still retain all forms of free will, thought, and in fact, some in the past have actively worked against Nyarlith at times. They are easy to recognize, all wear masks similar to Nyarlith in reverence to the one who granted them such insight into otherworldly knowledge. Not all of them are mages, in fact some do not have the ability to cast magic at all. Some are simply special warriors or those born with a natural talent for seeing things.

These Enlightened few, make up the higher ranks of Nyarlith's people. Whereas the indoctrinated are simple servants, guards, keepers, and general soldiers, the Enlightened are able to conduct their own experiments and travel between the tower and the waking realm. They are often the leaders, generals, and otherwise those of power within the tower.

Dreams. All men have them, but few are able to master and understand what they truly are. Dreams are a time when human minds are open to the most insight. Able to hear the eldritch mutterings of those greater than them. 

Dreams, is an Area Nyarlith is quite well acquainted with. Often times, they will find a mortal they've taken an interest in and show them a nightmare. Such nightmares often will end with those afflicted seeking the tower and her. Depending on how they handled the nightmares and how much of the eldritch things they can see, they will either be turned into one of the Enlightened or one of the Indoctrinated.

One of her lesser known abilities, however, is the ability to create peaceful seeming, lucid dreams for a few. A rarely used skill, but it allows communication, sharing of ideas and for him to see into a persons psyche. Often times, their form in this dream is vastly different than what the legends and myths state. Most often, the dreams take place under the bright light of the moon on a balcony, overlooking the sea.
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